Heirs of the Snake and Lion
by Black-Kayaker
Summary: AU Harry parent's aren't killed by Voldemort when he was one, ans there is more than one phrophesized child Harry's childhood could be doomed...
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One  
Heirs of the Snake and the Lion  
  
Six Months Before Harry Potter is Born  
  
Voldemort stood on the balcony and peered down into the garden below him where two young girls were playing hopscotch. Even though he usually despised children, one of them was different. He watched as his granddaughter and one of his followers daughter laughed as they played together, something in his features softened as he gazed at his heir, yet his face remained impassive. Sighing he turned away, let her have a half- way normal childhood he told himself. She already is learning things that will scar her. He hated his son, that traitorous boy, who even though he was a sqib was allowed to live because of who his father was. And damn his mother as well, she too had betrayed him and had tried to leave. He had taken care of that. Voldemort had felt very little pity when he had killed her, he remembered her now, the way that she looked. She had been young she had looked at him, and through him, as if she had been trying to see the man that she had once loved, and with the look of despair on her face when she had realized that he was completely changed he had killed her.  
All of that didn't matter now, he had one heir, a very powerful heir. And another on the way, he hoped that it would be a boy. Though it didn't really matter. Even though he despised his son's choice of a wife, he had to admit that the two of them had created amazingly powerful offspring, for their lack of magic. Again he sighed, it wasn't that bad the mother was from a very powerful wizarding family he knew. As soon as she gave birth and made sure that the child would survive, he would take it, and then he would kill his son and his wife. He would have two heirs, more than enough, he wouldn't need them anymore. His current granddaughter thought the world of him too, he was everything in her life. She was being immersed in his ways, he saw that she was properly educated.  
As he sat in his chair he thought of the news that had been brought to him recently, of the boy who supposedly was to bring him down. Prophecies were lies every one of them, they told of nothing except impossible futures. Born to parents who had thrice defied him who could that be? There were only two possibilities the Potters and the Longbottoms. The Longbottoms were bumbling fools incapable of producing a child who could destroy him. But the Potters, the Potters might be the ones. The brat James and his little mudblood wife, they were powerful and smart, they could do it. He'd have to take care of them, and of their unborn child, and he had just the way to do it too. Voldemort smiled then, the kind of sick smile that would make anyone's hair stand on end. But perhaps... perhaps he wouldn't kill the child. It might be a halfblood, like himself, but his parents were powerful and it was the one who could destroy him. It might make the perfect follower. The child that he didn't get to have. But no, the fool Dumbledore already knew about the prophecy, and therefore would be protecting his precious little followers. No he would just have to kill the baby and his parents. The Longbottoms would have to go too just in case. No-one would challenge him, or his power. No-one.  
A chime went off in the room, and Voldemort realized that it was time for his granddaughter to have her daily lesson. He went back to the window to call the child up, when he heard her softly knocking on the door. So eager, so ready to learn what I have to teach her Voldemort thought, she's always early to come and late to leave. "Come in my child, and prepare yourself, I have a very special lesson for you today." The girl acted calmly, but Voldemort could see the excitement in her eyes. Turning toward him his precious child asked if she could know what he had in store for her. He never told her what it was going to be of course, but it was usually a test, a mock duel. To see if she had properly practiced the lessons taught previously. Today however was different, today he was going to start teaching her the rules of taking power and keeping it firmly in her grasp.  
After two hours of intense questioning, and pressure, Elsbeth left his chamber, exhausted yet triumphant. Voldemort sat in his throne smiling to himself, she had answered all of the questions correctly, even the really difficult ones that required her to make large sacrifices and take huge risks. Oh yes, Voldemort thought to himself, yes she will be an empress, of which the like none have ever seen before. She will rule with an iron fist and a face of beauty. She will maintain her power through every means possible. I will not be there to see it, because she will have destroyed me to get her power, but I know that this is her future. He sat there in the dark room imagining all that his granddaughter would be, until at two-thirty in the morning. A knock on the door awoke him from his reverie. "Enter." His voice had turned back into the cold hiss that he used with his followers. The figure hurriedly moved in front of Voldemort and bowed, asking for his forgiveness for interrupting him. Waving his hand annoyed, the whimpering man continued. "My lord, please forgive me, but the Lady Thea, she has gone into labor, my lord. Your second heir is on the way." Voldemort stood up slowly as if not to appear to be expectant, and calmly walked out of his chamber. He walked down into the dungeons, where even though it was dark was quite a comfortable place, at least in the rather large cell that his son and his wife lived in. He could hear Thea's gasps and moans and she struggled to give birth. He walked into the room and watched as his loyal female followers played midwives for the second time. His son sat at his beloved's side whipering words of comfort and encouragement. Voldemort only scowled when he looked at the boy that he had sired. He turned back to Thea, he would wait all night long After the babe had been cleaned up, and wrapped in a towel, Narcissa Malfoy brought the small bundle to him, and carefully set it in his arms. "It is another beautiful girl my lord." She told him bowing. Voldemort looked at the infant it looked back. Blood red eyes stared into black eyes that seemed to read him from the inside out. He gasped quietly, and he felt the girl's mind invade his own. So powerful with only minutes of life in you. He smiled at the baby, and then looked up at Thea and Mathom. Thea was crying silently, and his son was glaring at him yet his eyes were full of sorrow. "Thank-you Mathom, Thea even though you have been of little use to me, your children are quite the double pair. However I have been thinking and the fact is, I don't need three heirs. Two is quite enough, and the fact of the matter is that now instead of little use you have none. I will hand- raise the child, from this moment on she is mine."  
  
He turned on the weeping pair and closed the door. Thea started screaming at him, thief she called him, baby stealer. Then different voices cried out, and then there was silence. Volemort smiled again, no longer would his son or his wife pester him with their unwanted presence. As he returned to his chamber the baby started to cry, soothing it quietly, he conjured up a bottle of milk which the little girl drank greedily. Soon she was asleep, and as Voldemort stared into her tiny face he knew that both of his grandchildren were destined to be great. With a flick of his wand a cradle made of black silk appeared near the throne, along with another, smaller throne. Setting the infant in the bed, and re-seating himself he stared into the fire, the red of his eyes absorbing the red of the fire. Now it was time to plot the demise of his enemies. 


	2. Chapter two

Chapter Two  
Heirs of the Snake and the Lion  
  
July 31, 1988, Harry Potter is Born  
  
"JAMES POTTER! Get In Here Now!" Lily Potter's screams echoed throughout the lobby where James his best friends Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin sat joking and about their school days. Sirius grinned crookedly, "Uh Oh mate, you're in for it now." He patted James on the shoulder, barely holding back his laughter. "You better go James," Remus advised, "I wouldn't make Lily wait any longer if I were you." Smiling encouragingly they watched as James Potter stood up and walked into Lily's room like a soldier going to be executed. As soon as he closed the door more screaming ensued. "Finally!" Remus and Sirius, listened as Lily scolded her husband. "This Is All Your Fault, I Hope You Realize The Pain That I'm Going Through Right Now For Your Pride!" At that statement neither of the men sitting in the lobby could hold back the laughter. Fresh waves came as screams continued to stream out of the room. Soon however they realized that Lily wasn't screaming at her husband, that it was the screaming of a very loud baby. Who was probably at the moment, very upset at the world for taking him from his happy, warm and comfortable home.  
James came running out of the room, and Sirius and Remus stood up and patted him on the back, James was covered in sweat and breathing hard, but he was smiling happily. Sirius decided it was time for a joke, "Well mate you look exhausted did you give birth or did Lily?" James started laughing and he gave Sirius a hug. Remus looked at James. "Well James," He asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?" "It's a boy" James managed to say, before Peter came running into the lounge, looking a little pale, and sick. James smiled at Peter, and gave him a warm hug. "You're a little late Peter, but that's alright. I'm just glad you're here, and Lily's too tired to care." He led Peter over to where Sirius and Remus were standing.  
"Gentlemen," James announced, "I have a very important decision to make today, and no Sirius it's not what Lily and I are going call the baby, that's already been decided. His name is going to be Harold James Potter. No what I need to decide is who is going to be Harry's Godfather." He looked at each of them in the eyes. A few minutes passed before Lupin backed away smiling gently.  
"I can't be his godfather James, with my...condition, the ministry won't allow me to take custody if you and Lily were to..." Remus looked away, no-one in the Order liked to think that it could be the last day that any of them would see each other again. Suddenly Peter backed away as well, he was wringing his hands, and stuttered over his words.  
"D-Don't make me the godfather either James, you k-know how I am so forgetful and c-careless. Harry w-would hate it with me, besides I'm n-not that responsible either, Ha-Ha I w-would probably lose him." Peter was sweating and his kept shifting around swiftly, as if he expected someone to jump around the corner and shout "Boo!". Shrugging away Peter's odd behavior James turned to Sirius, a broad smile on his face.  
"Well mate, it looks like you're the only one left, so I officially announce you, Sirius Black, to be the godfather of my son, Harold James Potter. Congratulations mate." James patted Sirius firmly on the back, while Sirius was staring into nothing, probably in shock. "Come on everyone, let's go see Lily and Harry, Dumbledore is in there as well." The four friends walked into the room, where Lily was lying on the bed smiling tiredly, a dreamy expression on her face. Dumbledore stood next to the bed, and was holding the tiny bundle that was Harry carefully. He passed the baby to James, when he walked in. Harry was awake was carefully observing his new environment.  
"Hello Harry." James spoke softly so not to disturb his new son. The baby looked at him, with Lily's eyes. James then passed Harry into the arms of Sirius, who was rather unused to holding a baby, though when he looked into the face of his godson, a wave of warmth came over him, and smiled a very big smile at Harry. Peter and Remus stood at Sirius's shoulders and they too had to smile at the newborn.  
"Can I have my baby back now?" Lily said from the maternity bed. Though she was trying to be cross, she was failing miserably. One because she was so tired, but mainly because she loved the attention that her baby was getting. Sirius passed Harry back to James who in turn, returned the baby back to Lily's arms. As soon as Harry was nestled comfortably, in his mother's arms, both Harry and Lily fell asleep.  
Dumbledore motioned the four men out of the room, and quietly closed the door, behind them. "Remus, Peter, Sirius, I need to speak to James alone for a moment if you please." The three men went back to the lounge chairs, and watched as James went from being to surprised, to being depressed, and resigned. After what seemed like an eternity, Dumbledore, gripped Jame's shoulder and then disapperated. Slowly James walked over to his friends, and sat down heavily in one of the chairs beside them. When he looked up at them, the brown eyes behind his glasses were troubled.  
"Which one of you would be willing to give his life and freedom, for me, Lily and Harry? Which of you would sacrifice yourself, if you knew that you would be helping to save our world from Voldemort?" James wasn't looking any of them in the eye now, now he was staring off into space as if he could see something there, that the rest of them couldn't. It was Remus who spoke first.  
"James I don't know what Dumbledore told you, but please listen, if it's this serious, then you shouldn't be asking for a volunteer. Everyone in the Order knows that there is a spy in the ranks, what if it's one of us, you would handing yourself to Voldemort on a silver platter." Everyone looked at Remus, he knew that they all thought that he could be the traitor, because of what he was, and this speech didn't help his position at all. James looked at Peter, his head was hanging down, and if he felt that he couldn't look James in the eye. So James turned to Sirius, his best friend, the one who had always been loyal. "Sirius?" The name became so much more, when James said it then, it became a plea, a question, a hope. It became something that Sirius couldn't resist.  
"James, every one of us would be willing to give his life for you. But there's something more here isn't there? And in that case, I want you to talk to Lily, and then decide what to do." Smiling at James he got up and put his coat on. "Well boys, its late and it's time that I went to bed, because to tell you the truth, all this stress has made me exhausted too. Night." And Sirius disapperated then too. Peter stood up and nodded farewell to James.  
"S-Sirius is r-right. It i-is late, and I sh-should be going t-to bed t-too." Because Peter couldn't apparate he just walked away. Now it was Remus's turn.  
"James..." Remus started, but then he shook his head, and gave Jame's hand a quick squeeze before leaving aswell. James Potter was left all alone in the middle of the night with no-one to comfort him, with the new information that he had just received. Why did Dumbledore have to ruin tonight? James thought. He didn't, a part of his mind said, he was just preparing you for something, so you won't be surprised. 


End file.
